Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little has become a name that NFL fans everywhere now recognize—thanks not only to his rocket-powered right leg, but also to a dramatic and controversial moment in the 2026 wild-card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. In a league where every second counts and every decision is scrutinized, Little’s journey from promising rookie to record-setting star has been nothing short of remarkable—though, as Sunday’s events proved, no kicker is immune to the unpredictable twists of playoff football.
Let’s rewind a bit. Cam Little, just 22 years old, joined the Jaguars after an impressive college career at Arkansas, where he converted 53 of 64 field-goal attempts (82.8%) and was perfect on all 129 extra points over three seasons. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft—212th overall and the third kicker taken—Little quickly established himself as one of the league’s most reliable legs. His rookie season saw him nail 27 of 29 field goals (93.1%), including 5 of 6 from beyond 50 yards, and all 27 extra points. If that wasn’t enough, he continued his hot streak into 2025, making 30 of 34 field goals (88.2%), with 8 of 10 from long range. Jaguars fans had every reason to believe that their young kicker was something special.
But it wasn’t just about accuracy. Little’s range was jaw-dropping. In the 2025 preseason, he stunned the football world by blasting a 70-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, it didn’t count toward the NFL record books—preseason stats never do—but it served notice: this kid could kick it farther than anyone else in the league. And when the regular season rolled around, Little made history for real. In Week 9, he drilled a 68-yard field goal as the clock expired in the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders, helping the Jaguars edge out a 30-29 win. That kick shattered Justin Tucker’s previous NFL record of 66 yards, set in 2021. As if that wasn’t enough, Little added a 67-yarder in Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans, giving him both the longest and second-longest field goals in league history.
“You kick it long enough and you kick it straight enough, it’s going to go in,” Little said after his record-breaking 68-yarder, according to the Jaguars’ postgame press conference. “Me and Logan [Cooke, the punter and holder] kind of had like a one-on-one right before the kick, and I said, ‘I’m going to hit this ball as hard as I can.’ Usually when I tell myself that, I find success.”
With numbers like these—57 of 63 career field goals (90.5%), just one missed extra point out of 51, and a staggering 13 of 16 from beyond 50 yards—Little was quickly becoming the league’s most feared long-range weapon. And with the Jaguars surging to a 13-4 record under first-year head coach Liam Coen, including an eight-game winning streak to close the regular season, the stage was set for Jacksonville to make some serious playoff noise.
That brings us to Sunday, January 11, 2026. The Jaguars, riding high, found themselves in a wild-card showdown with the Buffalo Bills—a game that would ultimately be defined by a single, chaotic sequence just before halftime. The first half was a nail-biter, with both teams trading blows and neither able to pull away. As the final minutes ticked down, Jacksonville got the ball back after the two-minute warning, desperate to get into field goal range. Why not? They had the NFL’s record-holding kicker waiting in the wings.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence delivered a clutch 34-yard strike down the middle to Parker Washington, pushing the Jaguars up to the Buffalo 41-yard line. But there was a problem: Jacksonville had no timeouts left, and Washington was tackled in the middle of the field. The offense scrambled to the line, hoping to spike the ball and stop the clock. Replay showed they didn’t quite make it—the snap came after the game clock had already hit zero. It looked like halftime had arrived, with the Bills holding a slim 10-7 lead.
But wait! The officials huddled, and after a tense discussion, they ruled that two Buffalo defenders hadn’t gotten onside in time, calling defensive offside. That meant the Jaguars were awarded one more second—just enough time for a field goal attempt. The crowd buzzed, and social media exploded. Was this the right call? Was the game clock already at zero? The phrase “ball don’t lie” started trending, as fans weighed in on the fairness of the decision.
With the drama at fever pitch, Cam Little jogged onto the field for a 54-yard attempt—a distance that, for him, seemed almost routine given his recent heroics. But this time, the football gods had other ideas. Little’s kick sailed wide right. The Jaguars trudged into the locker room still trailing 10-7, and the missed opportunity became instant fodder for debate and memes across the sports world.
“Ball don’t lie,” fans quipped on social media, suggesting that the controversial extra second shouldn’t have been granted and that fate had intervened to keep the score unchanged. It was a rare miss for a kicker who had been nearly automatic from long range all season, and the timing couldn’t have been more dramatic.
Of course, one missed kick doesn’t erase a season—or a career—of excellence. Little’s 2025 campaign had already cemented his place in NFL lore, and his journey from Arkansas standout to Jacksonville’s clutch performer is still unfolding. The Jaguars’ remarkable 13-4 record, powered by a balanced attack and Little’s reliable leg, has them poised for further playoff battles, and there’s little doubt that the young kicker will have more chances to shine in high-pressure moments.
As the dust settles on Sunday’s wild-card clash, the Jaguars and their fans will be left to ponder what might have been if that 54-yarder had split the uprights. But with a record-setting kicker like Cam Little in their corner, Jacksonville’s future looks bright—and NFL defenses everywhere will be watching the clock a little more nervously whenever he lines up for another shot at history.
